


Loved Once More

by kadieBlue



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hazbin Hotel and Fnaf crossover, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I got bored, Nobody Helped me pick a ship, Oc is not necessarily op, Personal Fnaf au, She has her weaknesses, So I picked one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kadieBlue/pseuds/kadieBlue
Summary: I know you, I walked with you once upon a dreamI know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleamAnd I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seemBut if I know you, I know what you'll doYou'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream
Relationships: Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Original Female Character(s), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Kudos: 10





	1. A Sitting Duck

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! This idea had been knocking around in my head, so I finally went and wrote it out. Now, I wanted to wait until I wrote out a few more chapters, but school starts soon for me and I wanted to at least get some feedback on this idea before I continue.
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy this story and I bid you adieu.

The screams of terror and agony die down as the final seconds of the day come to pass. Beats of wind resound through the air, booming like thunder. The sound recedes as the sources of the noise travel high up, becoming mere blips in the sky as they return to the bright paradise that forever taunts those who are damned. Upon completely vanishing from sight into the bright orb in the sky, a deafening silence sweeps through. Slithering into every crevice, the void sounds scrabble and claw their way into every being's ears. The beings wait with bated breaths as they listen for the tell sign of the end of the chaos. A whistle followed by a boom that lights up the dark sky in a magnitude of colors.

Eventually, the boom arrives. But without the whistle. Without the welcoming lights. No, this boom shakes the very ground the people of hell stand on. It rattles windows, it unbalances hung items. It shakes the denizens down to their very soul. A shiver runs up every spine and some choke from the suffocating aura of power. Power that rivaled almost all of those who sat on a pedestal made of sins, deals, and the suffering of those they believed to be beneath them.

Finally, a visual to the unfolding events arrives in the form of a seemingly bright star in the sky. It grows and spirals, hushed whispers permeate the air. The cries of children wail as they grieve for the life that had fallen too soon. A life that had spent so long to help them in return for a second chance to live, now wasted by the hands of a fool. The children above sobbed, gasped, and hiccupped in anguish while those below who had grown joined them in their cries. Confused they were. Why so soon? Why is she dead? She shouldn’t be here yet.

Their laments quiet as a hush voice whispers in their ears, “Please don’t cry.” Loving is the voice. Sad, but remains steady in acceptance to it’s fate. “Though, my life has been cut short; I wish not for your tears, but your happiness. Sooth your souls, for I am still able to live a life among the damned; however difficult it may be.”

The cries fall silent. The children sniffle but accept the being’s words; the grown become quiet, but their faces harden. For those who were close to each other, they glanced in one another’s direction. A silent agreement: Loyalty had been pledged long ago. A debt needed to be paid, and every single one of the grown spirits intended to pay in full. With a finally nod, they all made their way in the direction of the swirling light. For some, a long distance it was, for others not so much. But they pushed on. Past the sea of blood and gore left in wake of the events prior. They ignored those who protested against some of the spirits’ aggressive ways of getting past them; the spirits’ minds remained focused on their shared goal.

In troops they poured in into a clearing. A nature park left to rot. They circle around, leaving space in between them all for the one that they await. The other denizens of hell talk among themselves in confusion. News reporters attempt to approach the scene, only to be snarled and hissed at by the massive group. Back at news stations, theories are passed around. Explanation as to what is going on, but none are too sure. Whatever footage that can be taken is viewed by onlookers at bars, casinos, homes, along sidewalks.

A particular set of eyes watch with curiosity. A grin that rests below them widens with eagerness. So tempting it was to bring himself there, to watch the events unfold before him. But the warnings for people to keep their distance dampens that temptation. He may be powerful, but the power that oozes from that swirling ball of light is enough incentive for him to stay away. In the meantime, he supposes the images projected from the screens that sit behind a display window will suffice.

Back with the spirits, their wide eyes gaze into the vortex that hovers high above them. Waiting for their savior to come out. And their patience is rewarded when, at first, a speck breaches the light and descends at a fast rate. The speck becomes a vague figure, the figure becomes the form of a woman. With dawning realization, many of the spirits took note that the figure was approaching the ground rather fast. So, acting quickly, the closest set of bodies swarmed into the center of the circle the crowd had formed. With precise movements, they position themselves directly underneath the falling figure. Bodies knitted tightly together, arms outstretched up; they hold their breaths as the figure finally comes crashing down into the group. The rest of the spirits gasp and approach to make sure of their savior’s safety. 

The center group parted, revealing the once falling figure now clutched in the arms of one of the spirits. Wide eyes gaze upon the being before a mass cheer broke out throughout the crowd. Their savior was here! They could now fulfill their words of promise they had spoken so many years ago!

A hush fell over when, at the sound of cheers, the woman’s eyes fluttered open. After regaining focus, they sweep across the many people surrounding her. She then notices a lot of them hold animal features, a particular set of people closest to her catches her eye. When analyzing them, she sees one akin to that of a fox- red and missing an eye with the remaining one being gold in color. Another one was feathered- a bird. Colored yellow, they held big beautiful pink eyes. Next was a purple bunny that had purple eyes. This one had a bright smile on their snout, ears flicking in seeming excitement. All of them had black surrounding their irises.

_  
Gabriel, Susie and Jeremy. _

  
It wasn’t until after her observation of the three that she noticed that she was being carried. Looking up, she is met with blue on black eyes, a warm smile resting below them. Brown fur covered the being, small ears perked up on their head.

“Fritz…?”

The warm smile grew. His eyes lit up in happiness. “Hello, madam. It’s good to see you.” With that, he gently set her down. He then stood up straight, looking at the woman and then out at the crowd that surrounded them. “We’ve been awaiting your arrival. All of us.”

The woman followed his gaze, finally taking in the size of the crowd. She was tall for a woman and seemingly taller now that she was in hell, so she could see almost all the heads that faced towards her, showing reverence in their gaze as they looked at her. It was then she remembered the pledge, their final words to her before they departed to the place they were forever damned to.

Someone shouted from her left, breaking the hushed spell, “Hell, yeah! Our lady is finally here!” With that, the cheers resumed, growing in intensity. They chanted, sheer joy carried from their voices. The onlookers become further confused as the gathered crowd begins to chant. A name spills from their lips. No one outside knew of the name, though a memory does tug at some who lived through the more recent years. 

“‘Vetta!” They sang.

“‘Vetta!” They cheered.

“‘Vetta!” That name…

“‘Vetta!” It’s...familiar.

The previously curious eyes now squint in confusion. Why? Why does it sound familiar? Why does it sound like a nickname rather than a full one? Why does it feel like… he might know what that full name is…?

Time will only tell. But for now, the cries of happiness from the souls of ones whose lives were also cut short rang out across all of hell. No one is suspecting of the coming events that will result from this being’s kindness, nor will they be able to do anything about it. Not if she had anything to say about it.

…

  


“Where is he?!”

The clicks of heels on tile have become a repetitive sound. Hands pull at hair in agitation and worry. Teeth bit down on the lower lip that covers them. The constant pacing from one end of the room to the other was driving Vaggie nuts.

“Why do you care anyway? He’s a dangerous being, Charlie! Who cares if he gets caught in the extermination. Besides if he did, he most likely has his ways of escaping. So, stop worrying so much.” Vaggie huffs in frustration. A year. It’s been a full year since that dreaded cannibalistic twistlerstick had paraded through the hotel with talk of helping for nothing in exchange except the resulting entertainment he would no doubt get. The guy had been less of a help, and more of a royal pain in ass than anything.

Alongside that, it had also been a year since the events after the last extermination- the damned soul that shook hell itself. The denizens of hell had calmed themselves from their initial panic upon realizing that the new power that had arrive in hell didn’t seem to have any intentions of mass genocide. Unlike a certain demon, who had done that very thing upon his arrival to hell. The same demon that's ‘helping’ them.

Actually, the new demon- who people had dubbed as the Vindicator- had, instead of killing, used their powers to create a sanctuary for orphaned hellborn children; young, mortal demons; families struggling with income, single mothers who struggle to hold their own, etc. It was a shock to everyone in hell. Besides the princess, no one had ever done such a thing. And no one could oppose it either since the being who ran that business controlled one of the nine circles- which is a feat on its own. The fear that kept most from lashing out was due to the fact that the powerful demon- somehow- had the ability to kill another demon. An ability that only Lucifer himself had, being previously an angel. Which begs the question, what the hell did this demon do to obtain such a power?

The answer to that question will most likely be forever shrouded in darkness. Currently, another extermination is underway, unfortunately. There had been some demons who had come in with the goal of redemption, but it would seem that such a thing is a much slower process than what was initially thought. Because of this- and the fact that not a lot of demons have tried giving this place a chance- this year’s extermination couldn’t be prevented. So, now they hide away within the walls of the hotel, forced to hear the pained screams of the people outside. 

And it would seem the silence had been nagging Charlie; thus, leading to the current conversation. “I’m worrying because without him, this hotel will fall! He funds this place, Vaggie. I have no other way of raising that kind of money to keep this place afloat!” But of course, even with all the trouble that man has caused, Charlie still holds some sort of care for him; both because it’s a habit of hers and because of the consequences should something  _ actually _ happen to him.

“Well, he left saying he was going on a business trip or something-  _ I don’t know.  _ He could have run off to his actual home to take refuge. This shouldn’t even  _ be _ a discussion! We both know that he can take care of himself- as he has stated many times in the past year. So,  _ please Charlie _ \- for Lucifer’s sake, calm down.” A pleading look sagged Vaggie’s feature as she looked on at Charlie. Charlie finally stops her pacing to look back at Vaggie. With a scrunched face, she contemplates for a few moments before finally giving in.

She sighs, “Fiiiiine. But if he isn’t back in the next two days, we’re going out to look for him. Understood?”

A returning sigh greets Charlie’s ears as Vaggie conceded, “Alright, but trust me- I’m pretty sure he’s fine.”

Oh, how wrong she was.

…

His return back to the hotel today had become… exceedingly difficult. A simple errand turns into an irritating confrontation with a rival-  _ Vox- _ to which then becomes him scrambling to end said confrontation when realizing that it had lasted longer than he thought and has now put him as a sitting duck on the sidewalk.

A hand rose with wisps of light curling around the fingers. The man, with a bored look, prepares to teleport himself back to the hotel. No doubt Charlie is worrying her little head off over his well-being. And who is he to deny her of reassurance that he is very much capable of holding his own?

The tendrils of shadows start to lick at his feet when an object whizzes past his head and imbeds itself into the wall behind him. With a slight turn, he peers at the object. To his surprise, he finds a spear, glowing. A white light oozes from the blade, the handle coated in white and gold. It isn’t until he- once again- remembers why he was trying to get back to the hotel, that fear starts to trickle into his soul.

Whipping around, he finds the culprit hovering above the ground, its wings spread out to keep it in the air. A glitchy grin widens when it makes eye contact with the demon. It is then that screams start to ring out, signifying the beginning of the extermination. The red clad demon once again is licked at by shadows as he tries to make a quick getaway,

He is almost successful when his body recedes into the ground and his shadow begins its quick jumps from one shadow to another. However, the hovering figure, somehow, puts a stop to the retreating shadow by launching a dagger at the tail end of it as it just about completes another jump. With a strangled screech, the shadow wriggles and pulls to free itself from the burning light. A stuttering chuckle interrupts their screeching as the hovering figure quickly lands to finish its job.

With a jolt, the red clad demon springs from the shadow out onto the street to put some distance between himself and the barbaric being of light. His shadow follows suit soon after, now that the physical tension through its form was gone, it could finally free itself. But what the demon didn’t expect was for the being to anticipate his move and so, quickly swung around to take a swipe at him with the now retrieved spear.

Quickly, the demon dodges. Bending to the right, he teeters and falls. He is fast, though, to use his flexibility to his advantage. He bends back before hitting the ground and plants his hands on the asphalt to guide his body to a soft landing. He rested flat on his stomach, only to then use short range teleportation to zip himself through the parted legs of the attacker and reclaim his form on the other side.

The demon’s mind turns and flips in hopes to find a way out of this. Long range teleportation takes a tad longer to meld his body into his shadow, just enough time for his attacker to land a hit. That and, upon melding with his shadow, his shadow gains some physicality to it; thus, allowing for the angel’s weapons to hold it down. With that in mind, the demon would have no choice but to try and disorient the angel long enough for him to make his getaway.

Calculative eyes flick to and fro along the being in front of him, searching in desperation for a weakness. He could find none as he once again was forced to move out of the way unless he wanted that jagged weapon to impale him. The demon slinked to his left, arching his back and sucking in his gut (if you could even consider it a gut) to further distance his vitals from the blade. He then further stepped to his left, only to then quickly shift to his right in hopes of giving the angel a false prediction of his next move. 

It took the bait. The thing swung its spear, piercing the air where the demon had once been. The demon had rolled along the ground to avoid the swing and then sprung back up to regain some height. A quick flash of movement caused the red clad demon to summon his prized staff and hold it up to block the oncoming attack. The demon strained under the force as he kept the blade from meeting his face. With a quick jerk to the side with his staff, the spear slid away from his face and jammed into the ground. 

The opening is clear, and so the demon moves in to kick the angel’s legs out from under it. But his attempt was in vain as the angel merely stumbled from temporarily losing its footing. But it was long enough for the demon to regain some distance between himself and the angel. So badly he wanted to use his powers, but he had already exhausted himself with his encounter with Vox- curse that glitching tincan! Had the damn fool waited until perhaps  _ after _ the extermination to make a pathetic attempt at his life, he wouldn’t be in this mess! All he had enough for at the moment was a teleportation back to the hotel- where he had intended to take a  _ long  _ nap- if only this blasted thing would seize its advancements!

The demon needs to come up with something soon. For his physical stamina is slowly draining. Little by little it trickles out of his body after each swipe at him that he successfully dodges. A lag in his next step costs him a deep cut along his shoulder. He stumbles a bit from the shock, but soon grinds his teeth down upon one another in pain. He snarls and turns to finally act on his bloodlust desires for this cretin. But the snarl quickly morphs into a minute flash of a frown when he realizes he had given the angel long enough time to aim for a fatal blow. He flinches back and closes his eyes tight by instinct, waiting for the hit...

…but it never comes.

A loud animalistic snarl slams into his ears from his right. Quick gallops cross the street as it charges at its target. A final growl, then the snap of jaws on flesh elicits a screech from in front of the demon. He peeks his eyes open, only to widen them in shock on what was unfolding in front of him. There, mere feet away, was a tumbling mass of limbs rolling across the ground. Black and white flashed back and forth, white dominating then black. 

The white figure now lies on its back with the angel on top, it’s spear raised in the air. The new figure bares its teeth in another snarl followed by a swift kick with their hind legs against the adversary’s abdomen. The kick sends the angel sailing through the air onto the other side of the street. The angel lands and tumbles, its wings covering itself in an attempt to break the fall. The attempt only serves to injure their wings if the resounding cracks are anything to go by.

The red clad demon returns his focus back to the white figure when he hears huffs behind him. He swivels around to come face to snout of a large beast that stares into his eyes with empty sockets. Small pricks of light act as pupils as they flick across the demon’s face. Glitched groans break the beast’s attention from the demon in front of them to the angel now regaining its footing.

Damn it all-! That was his chance to make his escape, and he missed it! Irritation raked across the demon’s face and a low growl rumbles in his throat. The beast takes notice, but keeps their eyes glued to the angel. Their teeth reveal themselves once more as they, too, growl. A heavy huff snorts from their nose as they step in front of the red demon. A protective stance etches itself into their figure.

_ Protect.  _ They tell themselves.  _ Familiar soul. They must not die.  _ Although the being doesn’t know how or why the demon seems familiar. A flash of deja vu had struck them when their eyes landed on the demon and the spear aimed for his heart. Anger had filled their senses and so they took action.

Now they face off with the exterminator. Head lowered, ears flat, teeth bared. Their claws splayed out as if to cage the demon behind them from the danger, and their feet were parted wide in preparation for a sprint and for stability. This fool should know better. They were told to not target the Vindicator or any souls connected to them. Should they disobey, death would await them by the hands of the Vindicator themself.

And it would seem the angel finally realized who they were dealing with when a sting brought their attention down to their torso. They raise a hand and place it on the source of the sting. They flinch from the resulting spike of pain and retract their hand. Blood covered their palm and dotted along the pads of their fingers. Dawning horror sets in, and so they quickly look up at the beast that stood some distance in front of them.

“Leave…” a voice rasps. Speech being a difficult thing in that form, struggling could be heard as small, stuttering gasps build up into a full word. Its next word is spoken with more aggressiveness, impatience and anger fueling the resulting shout. “NOW!”

It was with that, that the angel finally comes to its senses and is quick to stagger into a run. It leaps into the air and takes off at a high speed, clearly eager to get away from the beast that could easily kill it. It’s flaps lag at some points due to the few fractures that littered the bones of its wings. However, even with the difficulty, it manages to make its way up into the ball of light high above.

A sigh escapes the demon as his knees nearly buckle from the relief. But he keeps his balance. A narrowed glance at the beast’s direction indicates the reasoning behind his refusal to rest at that moment. Trust is but a mere figment of the imagination in hell. He knows that all too well. Although the beast had saved his life, he isn’t going to let his guard down just yet.

A snort leaves the beast as it’s eyes glide from its previous focus down to the demon by them. Both the beast and demon remain still as they analyzed one another. For the beast looking on at the demon, it sees mostly red. Red hair tipped with dark brown covers his head. Two tufts act seemingly as ears with a set of small antlers settled between them. Looking at his face, bright red on red eyes glow in their sockets as the pupils, constricted into slits, bore onto the beast’s own features. A wide, strained grin was spread across his face, gold in color. 

Traveling further down, the beast finds the demon to be dressed in a rather enchanting style. A red swallowtail jacket adorned his upper body. A lighter red undershirt was decorated with an inverted cross with a bow tie around the collar. The undershirt seemed to have a turtle neck piece as well, as the entirety of the demon’s neck was covered. At the end of each sleeved arm were dark gloved hands with bright red dots decorating the knuckles. Below the upper body getup, were simple dark slacks with red hemming at the bottom. Sleek, black shoes covered his feet as they were posed next to each other, toes pointing out and to the side. 

The demon took the opportunity as well to analyze the thing before him. A white furred beast. A wolf. Though, a few features led the demon to question that conclusion. The-  _ wolf-like _ \- being in front of him had skeletal looking limbs for its arms and legs with the exception of its thighs. Metal they were, and that theme continued onto the entirety of the beast’s abdomen. Metal plating layered to allow mobility.

The red demon brought his eyes up to the wolf’s (we’ll go with wolf for now) head. Their head was long and narrow. Two black spots rested on the brow ridges next to a strip of black that acted as eyebrows. A crowning circle was placed in the middle of their forehead with a stripe going down their snout. Below their eye sockets were small swirls, it gave the wolf a sort of feminine look to its face along with its long eyelashes. As previously mentioned, metal made up most of its body. Everything but the wolf’s head, thighs, chest and tail. 

It would seem the thing was done with its observations, as it began to approach the red demon. This briefly alarmed the demon, so he took a few steps back to maintain the distance. “I suggest you keep your distance, mutt. I’ve had enough complications hinder my plans on returning home, today. I rather not add you to that list.”

The beast stops its movements, but didn’t make any attempts to leave. It remained still and continued to bore its gaze into the demon. The demon had become uncomfortable from the stare and thoughts of leaving finally surfaced. But before he could act on them, the beast tilted its head to the side. Its focus slid down to his right, its stare becomes more intense as a whine escapes its throat.

It was then, that the pain from the injury he received registered in his head once more. A slight wince slipped through his expression as he followed the beast’s gaze. The cut on his right shoulder was a lot deeper than he thought it was. His healing capabilities were struggling to mend the flesh back together. Blood seeped out and soaked his coat sleeve. The demon’s plans to return to the hotel changed, not wanting to show this kind of weakness to anybody. Much less the mutt that stood before him and was looking on in what seemed like concern. He needed to get to his cabin.

He turned, proceeding to do just that. However; his legs, strained to their limit, finally gave out. A surprise yelp leaves his mouth as the ground quickly rushes up to meet his body. But the impact never comes. Arms quickly wrap themselves around his torso, preventing the demon from completing his fall. The owner of the arms huffs before bringing the demon back up to his feet, but keeps an arm around him to steady his balance. The demon starts to protest against the contact, but a light growl silences him. With him so close now, he could  _ feel _ the power radiating from the beast. A twinge in his mind wriggles and pulls itself from the depths of his memories. He recognizes this power…

_ A swirling vortex hovers in the sky. Onlookers chatter in confusion. A sense of unease befalls the people as the immense power coming from the vortex clouds their senses… _

The demon’s eyes stretch open and snap to the figure holding him. The Vindicator. That’s why the angel was in such a rush to leave upon the beast’s demand! It knew of the Vindicator’s capabilities. And with knowing that it was at a risk of becoming further injured- or perhaps  _ killed- _ it’s cockiness was thrown out the window and made a mad dash out of there. Which is something  _ he _ should probably be doing, but then he remembers the beast's earlier actions. It saved him. He doesn’t know why, but… he could at least show some gratitude.

He glances to the side in reluctance, but then looks back at his savior (however begrudging he may be to call them that). With a heavy sigh, he speaks, “I don’t suppose you plan on letting go anytime soon, but I do need to get back to my home so that I may attend to the laceration on my shoulder. I very much appreciate your help in driving off that blasted angel, and I thank you for your kindness-” A particular scream of terror echoes not too far away. The demon shifts uneasily in the white figures hold. “But I best be heading on my way! So, if you would be so kind as to let me go…” He attempts to pull himself free. But the hold on him tightens.

“...Y-you won’t be able to get far… Not in y-your...state.”

“I  _ can  _ teleport myself, thank you very much.” The demon’s patience was dwindling.

“N-not. Wise.” The demon looks up quizzically. A brow raises in request for them to elaborate. “You're exhausted a-as is… t-teleporting now would… knock you out. Leaving the wound to continue to bleed and fester.” The beast’s speech still stuttered a bit and ragged breaths brought pauses at certain points, but it seemed to be getting slightly better.

“Then what would you have me do? I have no place to stay nearby and I don’t want to interact with anybody right now.” A pointed look at the beast emphasized that last sentence.

The beast’s eyes flicked about in thought. Then its jaw once again opened to speak, the pearly whites of its teeth served to further the demon’s unease and caused terrible memories to surface. “Come with me.”

A blink. “I’m sorry?”

“Come with me. One of my safe houses is nearby, and it has medical supplies for you to use. If it isn’t too much trouble, I know a few tricks to better mend that wound.”

Now it was the demon’s turn to flick his eyes about in thought. As much as he wanted to go back to his home, the mutt was right. If he attempts to teleport back, he’d risk losing consciousness. And with blood still pouring out of his wound, he couldn’t take the risk. Traveling by foot is also out of the question with his exhaustion and with the extermination still underway. With a heavy sigh, he relents, “Alright. I suppose going with you wouldn’t be the worst option. But how do you suppose we get to your safe house with the state that I’m in?”

The beast glances away, then back, then away again. With a final look at the demon, it swoops down; it’s right arm remains along his back as the other slides down to grip the crooks of his legs. The demon shouts in surprise, then begins his protests with no hindrance this time, “Unhand me you mangy mutt! I will not be carried across the city for all to see! Hell forbid that one of the overlords see me in this state, so-  _ for Satan’s sake-  _ put me down!”

The beast merely roles its eyes and huffs in amusement, “Quit your whining. I have my ways of avoiding the public’s eye.” Looking around, their eyes land on a nearby alleyway. Their body sways as they approach the narrow path, but they make an attempt to stop it so as to not jostle the demon’s wound. Once they arrive at the path, the beast steps into the darkness-

The world around them is suddenly distorted. All the demon can see is static covered flashes of their surroundings as the distortion intensifies. A hum buzzes in his ears and hush whispers float by, their words undistinguishable. Then, with a single bright flash, everything stops. The demon looks around to see that their surroundings have changed.

No longer was there trash littering the ground and blood stained brick walls, but instead a comfortable abode greeted the demon’s eyes. Soothing warmth washed over him from the lit fireplace to the left, candles and a small clock sat on the mantle above as decoration. To the right of the fireplace was a built-in shelf adorned with china sets on the upper sets of shelves with books on the lower ones. Below the shelf were small double doors to presumably a cabinet.

Along the wall that sat in front of the two, was a tv stand with a flat screen tv sitting on top of what looked like a speaker. Pictures decorated the wall above with images of flowers with a tiki mask to the right of the pictures (that particular detail caused Alastor’s smile to twitch up). A small shelf on wheels stood next to the tv stand with an assortment of items covering each surface. A red couch to the right was surrounded by potted plants- a particular one looking like a tree. A love seat sat against the wall facing the tv.

Where the two (more like one) stood was in a segment that separated what was most likely the living-room from what seemed to be the dining room behind them. A doorway further into the dining room allowed a small peek of a fridge to be seen- that would presumably be the kitchen- and another doorway in the living room revealed a hallway with a flight of steps leading up. A tiny peek of a bathroom could be seen from where they were.

When the demon was done with his observations, he turned to the one holding him, “I think the couch would do just fine, so if you could please set me down...”

The wolf glanced down at him and snorted, before proceeding to the previously mentioned hallway. When reaching it, they turned to the right past the small bathroom and down the hall to a door at the end. The hallway was short, so it was hardly a trek. The door was slightly ajar, so the wolf just lightly kicked it to open it the rest of the way. After that, they entered and turned to the left towards a queen’s size bed tucked into the corner of the room next to a window.

The wolf had to clamber slightly onto the bed and turn so that they could rest the demon correctly with his head resting on the pillows; seeing as the pillows sat against the left wall and the demon’s head was resting above the wolf’s right arm. After the wolf slid their arms out from under the demon and clambered back off the bed, did the demon sigh in relief from the lack of contact with the beast. The beast turned back towards him with a tilt to their head, their mouth opens before speaking, “I’ll be getting the medical supplies needed, is there anything you want while I’m at it?”

The demon seemed hesitant to reply, but he answered anyway, “A glass of water would be dandy, dear.” The wolf’s ear flicked at the word ‘dear’. A flash of familiarity rang through their mind before their face contorted into that of confusion.  _ Why did that sound so familiar…?  _ “Oh! And before you go, might I have the name of the one who had been so kind as to provide shelter for someone such as myself?” Oh, he knew their name. He just wanted to see if perhaps he could get their full name. He’s pretty sure that ‘Vetta’ isn’t their actual name and it's been nagging his mind for the past year.

The wolf paused from leaving the room. They tilted their head to him and remained silent for a moment. Until- “Lov’.” Finally, a distinguishable feminine tone filters through.

The demon blinked, “Say that again, darling?”

“You may call me Lov’.” A brow raises, “And your name…?”

The demon shakes the bafflement from his features. A strange name to be called, but he supposed there are stranger names out there. With a slight clearing of his throat he answers the wolf, “Alastor, darling!” A wide grin, “Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”


	2. The Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a lot of eye-rolling in this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I am SO sorry for the extremely late update. School is a bitch and I’ve been devoting whatever writing time I have to another story in the works.  
> But! Since it’s my birthday today! I thought I’d treat you guys to a chapter.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and I bid adieu!

The lack of soundproofing throughout the home allowed the clunks of metal on wood to echo. The sound changes slightly as the wood is swapped out for tiling; eventually it comes to a stop. The creak of a cabinet opening and the clinking of glass comes next, the sound of running water following soon after. With the glass of water in one hand, Lov’ stoops down to the cabinet under the sink. Opening it, she is immediately greeted with the sight of the first-aid kit. She quickly snatches it before standing upright and turns to head back to the guest room, shutting the cabinet door with her tail on the way out.   
  
Lov’ moves through the hall with a quick pace to the opposite end. She turns to her left after entering the room and hands Alastor his glass of water, “Have your fill, then I’m gonna need you to sit up properly if am to attend to your wound.” She sets the med kit down onto the bed, “No objections or I’ll resort to restraining you.” 

A choke of amusement and a clearing of a throat was her reply before- “Ha! I’d like to see you try!” Alastor exclaims. His ego knew no bounds and Lov’ was not having any of it. 

She leans down into Alastor’s personal space. Her snout scrunches up and her mouth perses in an attempt to not bare her teeth at him, “You know very well the state that you’re in. And clearly know of my capabilities.” She huffs through her nose, “Do _not_. Test me.” Satisfied with the defeated look in Alastor’s eyes, she turns her focus back onto the kit in front of her. Opening it up, she roots through the case in search of a thread and needle. Once she found it, she looked back up at Alastor, “On a scale between ‘numb’ and “I’ll bite your hand off”, what is your pain tolerance?”

Alastor cocks a brow at Lov’ before he actually thinks about the question. With a hum, he replies, “I suppose it depends. A needle through the top most layer of skin wouldn’t have much effect on me, but…” He glances at the cut, “Seeing how deep the wound is, I think the tolerance would be low and I’d be more likely to try and bite your hand off.” He then eyes her hands, “Though, I highly doubt I’d be able to do much damage.” 

Lov’ hums in amusement, “Awww, what? You _wanted_ to cause some damage?” Her mouth curls up into a smirk. 

“With the way you’ve been handling me, yes! Yes I did!” Alastor’s grin strains upon mentioning the previous man-handling. 

Lov’ rolls her eyes at his dramatics, “Quit your complaining. I have done nothing but try and be gentle with you. Perhaps if you would be more cooperative it wouldn’t seem like I’m mistreating you. Now, I think it’s about time we take care of that cut before you get any more blood on the bed.” She reaches down and plucks an item from the kit again and eyes Alastor, “Are you going to be a royal pain in the ass? Just wondering so I can figure out how painful I should make this.” 

It was Alastor’s turn to roll his eyes. His grin weakened to a closed-lipped smile, “I’ll _try_ and behave.” His grin returns, “No promises, though.”   
  
“Well. I guess that’s the best I’m going to get. Now.” Lov’ holds up the item she had taken from the kit by Alastor’s mouth, “Bite.”   
  
Alastor’s eye twitches but then he complies, biting down onto the rubber material. Pleased with his compliance, Lov’ proceeds to try and remove the fabric around Alastor’s wound. She catches his slight wince from the slight pull of the fabric sticking to the cut. She then raises one of her claws, seemingly becoming sharper before bringing it down onto the sleeve of the coat. A small exclamation of protest could be heard from Alastor but was quickly cut off by Lov’, “Not another noise. I need to remove the sleeve if I want to properly clean and stitch the cut.” She explains as she slices through the fabric.   
  
When done, she contemplates the severed sleeve before wrapping it around the uppermost part of Alastor’s arm above the wound. She then tightens it as much as possible to help stop the blood flow; a grunt replies to her actions. With the improvised wrap in place, Lov’ gets up and heads out of the room quickly and over to the powder room next door. She rummages under the sink for the spare plastic bin and fills it with warm water from the sink. The water she has filtered into this house is purified of any unwanted bacteria and other elements, so she isn’t too worried about causing an infection to the laceration with the water.   
  
After filling the bin with a decent amount of water, she snags a clean rag from the small cabinet above the toilet and heads back into the guest room. Once she has sat down again, she returns her attention to the cut and dabs the cloth into the warm water. Slowly and gently, she dabs around the cut with the cloth. A sort of squeaking sound that’s usually associated with rubber being bent out of its shape in some way could be heard from her right. Her ear twitches at the sound and her expression softens with sympathy. Clearly Alastor had overestimated his pain tolerance, or at least hadn’t expected the twinges of pain from the light touches around the cut.   
  
Little by little, Lov’ managed to clean off the dried up fountain of blood along Alastor’s arm. The bin of water had turned red from the blood, so she left for a short period of time to dump and clean the bin before putting fresh warm water in. When she returns she snatches a saline solution from the med kit along with a swatch of cloth. Uncapping the bottle and replacing the cap with the cloth, she dumped some of the solution onto the cloth and lightly pressed it around the cut.   
  
With most of the outside gunk out of the way, Lov’ grabs a syringe from the kit and fills it with some of the clean water from the bin. A quick uncap and a pinch of salt added (how much shit did she have in that kit?!) to the water, and recap. She then holds it over the cut while squeezing where the wrap was cutting off blood flow. She glances up at Alastor.   
  
“Prepare yourself. This is going to hurt.” Was her only warning before she sprayed the water from the syringe into the cut. Alastor jerked and clenched his fist into the bed. His scream was muffled by the rubber stick in his mouth, cursing all the while in his head and trying to steer his mind from homicidal thoughts.   
  
_She is helping me. Do not harm her._

Finally, after what felt like an hour (to Alastor, ever the drama queen), the syringe was empty and the cut was flushed out of any leftover contaminated blood. Alastor breaths were labored. He tried to compose himself and combat the pain flooding his senses, hating how weak the pain made him feel. Once he calms his breathing, opens his eyes from their squeezed shut state and looks over at Lov’.   
  
“Are you alright?” She asks. Concern pooled into the blue speckled disks of light- _weren’t they white pinpricks before?_ \- that acted as eyes.   
  
Alastor’s nose scrunched when seeing the unwanted sympathy. By Satan, he felt so _weak_. How could he have let anyone- let alone a potential threat- see him like this? What’s worse was that they carried the features of a wolf. A mutt. A _beast_. Such features carried too many harsh memories for him and he’s surprised by how long he’s been able to look at the canine.   
  
Lov’ had caught on to his emotions, seeing as how she was closely intune with souls and can sense the general emotion one emits. Alastor, being oblivious to this, had no precautions to cage such vulnerable emotions from outside viewers. So he was basically an open book to her. With this newfound knowledge of Alastor’s hatred for weakness, she quickly retracted her earlier question. Stating instead that he didn’t have to answer. Lov’ returns back to her work, seeing that she was basically done with cleaning, she grabbed the thread and needle. She strung the thread to the needle before looking back up at Alastor. She waited for his permission this time.   
  
Alastor was slightly surprised by this, but was quick to shake it off. He nodded to her to continue, fully prepared for the pain this time. With the confirmation, she plunged the needle through the corner of the cut and thus began the long grueling process of putting Alastor’s arm back together.  
  


* * *

  
One last tug and a knot ends the sewing of flesh. A quick wipe down of any excess blood that had dribbled down during the stitching is the last thing done before a gauze and bandage is wrapped around the now closed up laceration. The reused sleeve is removed to allow blood to flow throughout the arm once again. After Lov’ had packed away the medical supplies back into the med kit, she got up to put away the case, throw out the sleeve and rag, and dump the tub of bloody water. 

She came back into the room to find Alastor gulping down the contents of his glass cup. The pain he had to endure had exhausted him even further- he was about ready to pass out from how tired he was. Lov’ took hold of the glass after he was finished and sat it on the dresser behind her. She then requests for Alastor to sit up and lean forward- to which he asks why. She explains that she’s going to need to change the pillow cases due to the blood that has soaked through it.   
  
With a grunt, he complies and leans forward. Lov’ snatches the pillows and quickly discards the cases. She turns to the dresser behind her once again and crouches down to reach the bottom drawer. Inside were spare sheets and pillow cases, so she grabs a couple of cases and places the pillows inside. She then returns to the bed to place the pillows back behind Alastor. A sigh leaves Alastor as he relaxes back into the pillows.   
  
“Thank you, dear. As much as I’ve been troublesome, I truly do appreciate your help.” As Lov’ had been sewing his cut, Alastor became more and more compliant. He had become more accepting, and his show of gratitude seems to have led Lov’ to finally come to a decision.   
  
“I’m not done.” Alastor shoots a confused look at her as she draws closer and reaches her clawed, metal hand out towards the bandage. The tip of a claw lightly brushes the fabric before it bends to allow the top of the claw to rest onto it. A hum emanates from Lov’s chest as a light leaves from there and travels down along her arm to the end of her claw. The light seeps from her digit to Alastor’s arm and the cut glows from underneath the bandage. When it dies down, Alastor whips his head up to face Lov’.   
  
“What in the nine circles did you just do?!”   
  
Lov’ looks up at his face, a smirk playing on her snout, “I merely gave your body a boost with healing the wound. It’ll cut the healing process in half and allow you to be able to use your arm within about two weeks.” 

“ _Two weeks-_?!”

“It would have been a month had I not done it, so pipe down would you? I already got a splitting headache from having to concentrate on stitching the cut. Please don’t make it worse.” Lov’ raises her hand to her head to emphasize her statement.   
  
Alastor rolls his eyes and huffs, but otherwise makes an effort to keep his voice down, “Well, thank you. Again.” He does seem to be saying that a lot as of recently. “Now, I do believe it’s time for me to rest. I am unbelievably tired from today’s events and have been wanting a nap since my encounter with Vox-“ His grin strains at the mention of the name, “-so I bid you goodnight. I’ll be seeing you in the morning?”   
  
Lov’ is a bit surprised at his blatant admission to being exhausted. It didn’t seem like something he would say out loud, seeing as how he seems to hate showing any weakness. Lov’ doesn’t think it’s a bad thing. On the contrary, she kind of hopes that Alastor will be more open around her. As much of a pain in the ass he has been and his overall attitude being something that usually deters others, Lov’ can’t help but enjoy his company. And not just that, but he brings a sense of nostalgia from deep within her soul. However, she is unsure as to what is triggering it. She can’t recall anything that could be compared to Alastor from her life...

Lov’ shakes those thoughts from her head. No need to worry about it right now. It’s late. Sleep is needed. So, with that in mind, Lov’ makes eye contact with Alastor once more, “Yes, I’ll be seeing you in the morning. Goodnight Alastor, and sleep well. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.” She offers, before leaving the room and making her way up the steps. Each one creaking loudly from her weight. Once at the top, she makes a beeline towards the master bedroom.   
  
She flops ungracefully onto the king’s size bed and sinks into the memory foam/pillow top mattress. In her mind, the mattress is an invention made by the gods to grace any sentient being throughout the realms. The events of the day finally come crashing down onto Lov’ and so her eyes flutter before shutting. And she falls into a dreamless slumber.  
  


* * *

  
The next day greets Lov’ with the earliest, loud hustle and bustle of demons going about cleaning up corpses and the stray limb here and there. Soon, explosions will be echoing in the distance with loud booms; sinners scrabbling to gain new territory. The thought briefly crosses Lov’s mind that she’d soon have to go out and basically show off that she’s still alive so that no one tries to be stupid and trespass into her territory. But with her mind still groggy from sleep, the reminder doesn’t linger long. Her bleary vision travels about around the room through half lidded eyes.   
  
They land on the tv first that’s situated about four feet from the bed. It sits on top of a dresser made out of dark oak with four large drawers. A closet was to the right of it, sticking out from the corner of the room. Continuing right from the closet, on the next wall was a single window covered with a heavy curtain. There wasn’t much placed along that wall besides hung up pictures and a few boxes literally the floor.   
  
Lov’ moved her head up to continue her absentminded observations. Her eyes land on the nightstand beside the bed. And there, resting on top next to the lamp was a radio. A dingy thing it was, but it still had its aesthetic appeal. Polished oak case- albeit a bit scuffed up- with brass trimming. It was a bitch to restore with the right appliances needed being even more of a bitch to find.   
  
However, the delirious thoughts halted when Lov’s eyes widened from a memory hitting her. The seemingly innocent radio had triggered it by being associated with the subject of the memory. Radio...

 _Alastor the RadioDemon is downstairs._   
  
It was with that realization that brought a domino effect of memories to come crashing down onto her. The fight with the angel, bringing Alastor here and patching up said demon. The resulting onslaught of thoughts so soon after waking up jolts Lov’ up into a sitting position. Her vision shakes and her breaths are quick. She clenches her hands tightly into fists, twisting them into the sheets. A long deep breath in and an equally long exhale begins the process of Lov’ calming her mind.   
  
It takes a few minutes but when she finally calms, she brings herself to swing her long legs over the edge of the bed. With a grunt, she heaves herself up from the incredibly squishy bed and makes her way out of the room and down the steps. As she descends the stairs, the scent of bacon, eggs and toast fills her nostrils. Her brows knit together in confusion. Strange. There’s no one else here to cook besides…

Lov’s ears shot up in realization and then a small growl of irritation was produced from her throat. That dumbass stickbug of a deer is up and about _cooking_ when he should be resting! By the heavens, if she walks through that kitchen door and finds him using his injured arm she’ll make sure it actually takes a month to fully heal! Consequences be damned, she can take the string of curses and complaints from him if it means he’s learned his lesson.   
  
But it would seem that such plans were in vain; for when she walked in, she found Alastor using only his left arm and having his shadow spawn be the temporary replacement for his right. A clever idea, she must admit. However, it still begs the question…

“Why the hell are you up and _cooking_ when you should be in bed resting?” The sudden voice from behind him startles Alastor enough for him to flinch. The flinch caused him to jostle his right arm slightly and his face twitched from the flash of pain. Alastor quickly composes himself, though, and turns to Lov’ with a wide smile.   
  
“Well! Good Morning to you too, my dear! I just couldn’t keep myself still in that bed for long, so I took it upon myself to make breakfast!” His hand (his shadow joins in on the theatrics) gestures to the delectable food dished out onto plates with pride. “It’s the least I can do to repay you for your hospitality!” His eyes squint from how wide his grin becomes.   
  
Lov’ looks from the food to him and back. Eventually, she heaves a sigh of defeat and replies, “Fine! Fine. As long as you’re not using your right arm. But do try to not make a habit of this. I really don’t want to have to stitch the damn thing again.” 

Alastor winces at the memory, “I’ll make an effort, but I can’t guarantee anything.” 

Lov’ huffs, “I guess that’s the best I’m going to get… Alright! Let's see how the food turned out.” Lov’ couldn’t ignore it anymore, the food smelled amazing and a deep rumble from within in her agreed. She didn’t duck in embarrassment, however, from the rather loud noise. 

Alastor chuckles from how obvious it was that Lov’ was hungry and grabs some silverware from the drawer all the way to the right side of the kitchen. He sets the silverware on their respective plates and then carries the plates to the dining table in the room over. In Alastor’s short exploration this morning, he found that there was a path that circled all the way around through the hallway, kitchen, dining room, and back into the living room. A group of children could play a roundabout chase with this setup.   
  
After placing the plates onto the table, one at the end of the oval shape table and one to the right of it. He pulls out the chair from the former spot and gestures for Lov’ to take a seat- ever the gentleman he was. Lov’ was a bit taken aback by the act, but complied nonetheless. When she sits down, Alastor pushes the chair in for her. He then takes his seat to the right of her. An awkward angle, but certainly less so compared to if he had taken the seat on the other end of the table. Lov’ feels that that would have been a bit too far for any conversation to be held. 

Once Alastor took his seat, he dug right into his food. He hadn’t gotten to eat much yesterday, so he was feeling rather famished today. Lov’ didn’t mind, not caring for mannerisms at the moment, and soon followed Alastor’s actions in devouring the food. A hum escapes her upon eating her first bite of the eggs. Dippy eggs they were- her favorite for breakfast. It was seasoned just right with a slight crisp to the white of the egg and the yolk remaining intact in its liquid state. She then eyes the bacon and toast, certain they would be as equally delicious as the eggs. And being the weird person that she was, she forces herself to wait and finish the eggs before moving onto the next piece of food.   
  
And she was right! After finishing her eggs and eating her bacon and toast, she learned that they were indeed as delicious. Unfortunately, with the pace she was going at, she finished her food within a few minutes. She momentarily mourned the loss of the delectable dish before scooting her chair back. She stands and, before she leaves for the kitchen, looks to Alastor with a soft smile on her snout.   
  
“Thank you, Alastor, for cooking breakfast. I very much enjoyed the meal.”   
  
Alastor sets his silverware down and then looks up at her to reply, “Why, you’re welcome darling! And thank you for the compliment!” A genuine smile stretches across his face.   
  
Lov’s smile widens in return, and then she turns to continue her short trek to the kitchen sink. She sets her dishes in the ceramic bowl and her movements slow as a thought crosses her mind. It’s a thought that’s popped up a couple of times before. Way before she met Alastor. During the past year, she had learned of the Princess’s dream goal. To help rehabilitate sinners so that they could be redeemed and sent up to heaven. The motive behind it was that the Princess was heartbroken over the pain and death her subjects have to suffer through with the exterminations. And the goal behind exterminations was to cut down hell’s population.   
  
Lov’ admires the Princess’s goals. She herself had been working to create a safe haven for those who need it. The project had come a long way- and she could even say that the people under her protection had grown and learned kindness and selflessness. With how far they had come, Lov’ believed that these people could be redeemed. Because of this, she had wanted to get in contact with the Princess in the hope that they could have some sort of partnership. However, now that she had Alastor here- Lov’ has heard of his partnership with the Princess- she could probably propose her   
idea to him. 

Lov’ hadn’t realized how long she had been standing at the sink until a voice behind her spoke up, “Penny for your thoughts?”   
  
Lov’s posture tenses at the proximity of the voice. She whips around to find Alastor right behind her, his smile wide in amusement. Her face scrunches in annoyance and huffs, “Must you be so close? I could have taken a bite out of your face.” And she could have, what with her and the demon being at about the same height.   
  
Alastor’s brows furrow briefly at her statement before one of them raises back up, “Well, you had been standing there for quite some time. I was just curious as to what has you so deep in thought. So I reiterate my previous question: penny for your thoughts?”   
  
Lov’ sighs and tilts her head slightly, eyeing Alastor for a few moments. She finally comes to a decision and answers his question, “You are in league with the Princess and her project correct?”

Alastor’s eyes narrow and he, too, tilts his head, “Yes, I am. What of it?”   
  
Lov’ takes a deep breath before beginning her proposal, “I had been wanting to get in contact with the Princess for some time. I believe my assistance would be of use to her since I’d be able to supply willing clients for her hotel. As you may have heard, I have built a safe haven for those who are in need of it. In the past year, many of the people under my protection have changed- for the better. I believe that the hotel would be good for them and that- with time- they _can_ be redeemed. Now, seeing as how you are in partnership with the Princess, I thought that I would come to you with the proposal.” 

Alastor steps back a bit and hums in thought. Yes, that would be beneficial to the hotel. Charlie would most definitely be happy to with the extra help. And this would bring more entertainment for him, along with a bit more hope for his other motives. With that conclusion, Alastor’s closed lip smile stretches into a grin, “Well, an offer like that, I just can’t refuse! It would have broken Charlie's poor heart had I pass up this opportunity. So, dear! I accept the offer! However, a discussion with Charlie herself will have to be held before an official decision can be made. I can send a shadow over to the hotel to notify her of the news and see if she has time for a meeting- _besides, I need to tell her I’m fine before she worries too much._ ” He slightly mumbles the last part. He’s appreciative of Charlie's care for him, but she does worry too much sometimes. 

Lov’s face breaks out into a grin, happy that her goal might come into fruition, “That’d be lovely, thank you. I appreciate your acceptance of my help.” The grin causes Alastor’s ears to twitch back with nerves, but he is quick to avert his gaze from her mouth. A snap of a finger summons one of his shadows. It rises from behind him and curls around his left shoulder, its head tilted in question.   
  
“Chester, my friend! I require for you to head over to the hotel and notify Charlie of our guest that’ll be coming by with a proposal. Do tell her that I am fine and-” A glance at his right shoulder, “...semi- unharmed.” A snort from Lov’ brings Alastor’s eye to her briefly before he returns his focus to Chester. Chester nods in understanding and takes off past Lov’ and through the kitchen wall.   
  
Lov’s gaze had followed the shadow before focusing back on Alastor, “Chester…?”   
  
Alastor rolls his eyes but has a smile of endearment, “Yes, Charlie had made it a point to give him a name since I had made it a habit of sending messages to her through him. She had grown tired of referring to him as my shadow, so she named him Chester. Chester had taken a liking to it and thus refused to respond to any other name besides that. Now-” He pivots on his heels and returns his being to the dining room. He pauses before the door and twists around to face Lov’, “I suggest we sit down and discuss the details of this alliance so that we may have a proper presentation for the princess!”   
  
And with that statement, long hours of that day are spent hashing out every detail of the plan. For Lov’, she found this opportunity to be a beginning. For Alastor, however unwilling he was to share such a dream, he found hope. 

_Soon_ , he thought. 

_Soon, I will be able to hold you in my arms once more..._


End file.
